Therapeutic breathing: methods and main functions. Healing breath for life extension

A person can survive a few days without water, a few weeks without food. But without air for only a few minutes! This transparent, imperceptible, weightless miracle is air, we do not think how it enters and exits the lungs, and all this until there are no problems with breathing. Bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, rhinitis and other troubles with the respiratory system, ENT diseases, stress and allergies ... Any of these diagnoses leads to respiratory failure and, accordingly, a decrease in the quality of life. Our book will help you overcome the problems caused by respiratory diseases. To help you: breathing exercises, yoga, qigong, aromatherapy, inhalations, aerotherapy, halotherapy and, of course, a Russian bath. You will learn how to provide first aid for breathing problems, get folk healing recipes, learn everything about prevention and treatment. Be healthy!

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The above introductory fragment of the book Healing Breath. Breathing exercises. First aid. Folk recipes. Prevention. Treatment (I. S. Pigulevskaya, 2018) provided by our book partner - LitRes company.

human respiratory system

Before starting to engage in any breathing practices, it would be good to understand the structure of the human respiratory system, how it functions, the types and types of breathing, and what violations can occur in this area. We will also talk about why the human body needs carbon dioxide.

The structure and functions of the respiratory system

These include the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. They are divided into upper respiratory tract (nasal cavity, nasopharynx and oropharynx, larynx) and lower respiratory tract (trachea with branching bronchi, lungs).

The external nose is a bone-cartilaginous formation in the form of a trihedral pyramid, with its base facing down. The upper part of the external nose, bordering the frontal bone, is called the root of the nose. From top to bottom, the nose passes into the back of the nose and ends at the tip of the nose. The lateral surfaces of the nose in the region of the apex are mobile and make up the wings of the nose, their free edge forms the entrance to the nose, or nostrils, separated from each other by the movable part of the nasal septum.

The back of the nose is made up of two flat nasal bones, from the outside they are adjacent to the frontal processes of the upper jaw, which, together with the cartilaginous part of the external nose, form the slopes and the crest of the nose.

The external nose, like all soft tissues of the face, has an abundant blood supply, mainly from the external carotid artery system.

The nose performs the function of conducting air, smelling, and is also a resonator for the formation of voice. An important role of the nasal cavity is protective. The air passes through the nasal passages, which have a fairly large area, and is warmed and moistened there. Dust and microorganisms partially settle on the hairs located at the entrance to the nostrils. The rest, with the help of cilia of the epithelium, are transmitted to the nasopharynx, and from there they are removed when coughing, swallowing, blowing your nose. The mucous glands of the nasal cavity produce lysozyme, which performs two functions: moisturizing and bactericidal. Air heating occurs due to the blood vessels passing in the nasal cavity. Already purified, moistened and heated air comes to the larynx.

The nasal cavity is located between the oral cavity (from below), the anterior cranial fossa (from above) and the orbits (outside). It is divided by the nasal septum into two identical halves. Each half of the nose is surrounded by four paranasal sinuses: maxillary (maxillary), ethmoid, frontal and sphenoid.

The paranasal sinuses are divided into anterior (maxillary, frontal, anterior and middle ethmoid sinuses) and posterior (sphenoid and posterior ethmoid sinuses). Diseases of the posterior sinuses (especially the sphenoid sinuses) are much less common than the anterior ones.

The maxillary sinuses are located in the upper jaw, they are the largest. The inner surface of the sinuses is covered with a mucous membrane.

The sinuses of the ethmoid bone consist of separate communicating cells separated from each other by thin bone plates. The number, volume and arrangement of lattice cells can be different, on average there are 8–10 of them on each side. The ethmoid labyrinth is a single ethmoid bone that borders the frontal (above), sphenoid (behind) and maxillary (outward) sinuses. The optic nerve runs close to the ethmoid sinuses.

The ethmoid plate connects the nasal cavity with the cranial cavity, so inflammation of the ethmoid sinus (ethmoiditis) can be dangerous due to possible complications to the brain and meninges, as well as due to the transfer of inflammation to the orbit and eyes.

The frontal sinuses are located in the scales of the frontal bone. Their configuration and sizes may be different. The inferior wall of the frontal sinus is the superior wall of the orbit.

The sphenoid sinuses are located in the body of the sphenoid bone and can vary in size from person to person. The lower wall of the sinus is partly the vault of the nasopharynx, and partly the roof of the nasal cavity. The pituitary gland and part of the frontal lobe of the brain are adjacent to the upper wall of the sinuses.

A newborn child has only two sinuses - the maxillary and ethmoid labyrinth. However, they are only rudimentary. By the age of 6, the maxillary sinus acquires normal forms, but its size is still small and it grows completely by the age of 12. Due to the virtual absence of this sinus in an infant, the lower wall of the orbit of the eye is located directly above the two rows of rudiments of milk and permanent teeth. With the increase in the age of the child, the teeth gradually take their permanent place, and the maxillary sinus takes on the appropriate size and configuration.

The cells of the ethmoid bone are formed by the time of the birth of the child, but their number and volume increase with age, especially in the period from 3 to 5 years.

The frontal and sphenoid sinuses are absent in the newborn, they begin to form at the 3-4th year of life.

The pharynx is the part of the digestive tube and airways that connects the nasal and oral cavity with the esophagus and larynx. It extends from the base of the skull to the VI-VII cervical vertebrae. The interior of the pharynx is called the "pharyngeal cavity". The pharynx is located behind the nasal and oral cavities and larynx, in front of the occipital bone and upper cervical vertebrae. In Latin, the pharynx is called pharynx, and its inflammation is pharyngitis.

The upper wall of the pharynx, adjacent to the base of the skull, is called the vault. The nasal part of the pharynx is a purely respiratory section. On its side walls are the pharyngeal openings of the auditory tube (Eustachian tube). The anterior wall of the pharynx in the nasal part communicates with the nasal cavity through two passages.

On the border between the upper and posterior walls of the pharynx there is an accumulation of lymphoid tissue, which can grow in children. This tissue is called tonsilla pharyngeas in Latin. Adenoidea, and its growth is called "adenoids". The other two accumulations of lymphoid tissue are located between the pharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube and the soft palate (palatine tonsils). On the back wall with the transition to the base of the skull there is an accumulation of lymphoid tissue, which forms the pharyngeal tonsil. This tonsil consists of roller-shaped folds, in the walls of which lymphatic nodules - follicles - are laid. From the age of 12, the pharyngeal tonsil begins to decrease in size, and by the age of 16–20 only small sections of it remain. On the anterior wall of the lower part of the pharynx, corresponding to the root of the tongue, is the lingual tonsil.

In total, at the entrance to the pharynx there is almost a ring of lymphoid formations: the tonsil of the tongue, two palatine tonsils, two tubal and pharyngeal.

The boundary between the nasal and oral parts of the pharynx is the mental continuation of the plane of the hard palate posteriorly.

The middle part of the pharynx is the oral part. Through the pharynx, it communicates with the oral cavity, its back part is opposite the third cervical vertebra. In the oral part, the digestive and respiratory tracts cross.

Zev is limited from above by the soft palate, from below - by the root of the tongue, from the sides - by the anterior and posterior palatine arches. In the triangular niches between the palatine arches on both sides, lymphoid tissue is laid - the palatine tonsils.

The larynx is the lower part of the pharynx, located behind the larynx and extending from the entrance to the larynx to the entrance to the esophagus. On the front wall is the entrance to the larynx, and the pharynx itself, tapering funnel-shaped, passes into the esophagus.

The larynx is a hollow organ that opens at the top into the laryngopharynx and at the bottom passes into the trachea. The larynx is located under the hyoid bone on the anterior surface of the neck. From the inside, it is lined with a mucous membrane and consists of a cartilaginous skeleton connected by ligaments, joints and muscles. Outside, the larynx is covered with muscles, subcutaneous tissue and skin, which is easily displaced. The larynx makes active movements up and down when talking, singing, breathing and swallowing.

In men, in the upper part of the thyroid cartilage, a protrusion or elevation is clearly visible and palpable - the Adam's apple, or Adam's apple. In women and children, it is less pronounced and mild.

There are several ligaments in the larynx, and the most famous of them is the vocal one. It covers the vocal muscle, which is stretched between the inner surface of the angle of the thyroid cartilage in front and the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage behind.

The internal muscles of the larynx perform two main functions: they change the position of the epiglottis during swallowing and inhalation, working as valves, and they change the tension of the vocal folds and the width of the glottis between them.

There is also a group of muscles that narrow, expand, strain and relax the glottis.

The larynx is lined with ciliated epithelium, and on the vocal cords, the epithelium is stratified squamous, rapidly renewing and allowing the ligaments to be resistant to constant stress.

Under the mucous membrane of the lower larynx, below the vocal cords, there is a loose layer. It can quickly swell, especially in children, causing laryngospasm.

The lower respiratory tract starts from the trachea. She continues the larynx, and then goes into the bronchi. The trachea looks like a hollow tube, consisting of cartilaginous half-rings tightly connected to each other. The length of the trachea is about 11 cm. At the bottom, the trachea forms two main bronchi. This zone - the area of ​​bifurcation (bifurcation) has many sensitive receptors. It is located approximately between the shoulder blades.

The trachea is lined with ciliated epithelium. Its feature is a good absorption capacity, it is here that medicinal substances are absorbed during inhalation.

The bronchi are a system of tubes that carry air from the trachea to the lungs and back. They also have a cleansing function. The trachea is divided into two bronchi, which go to the corresponding lung and there are divided into lobar bronchi, then into segmental, subsegmental, lobular, which are divided into terminal (terminal) bronchioles - the smallest of the bronchi. This entire structure is called the bronchial tree.

The terminal bronchioles have a diameter of 1–2 mm and pass into the respiratory bronchioles, from which the alveolar ducts begin. At the ends of the alveolar passages are pulmonary vesicles - alveoli. There are a lot of them, about 700 million.

From the inside, the bronchi are lined with ciliated epithelium. The constant wave-like movement of the cilia brings up the bronchial secret - a liquid that is continuously formed by the glands in the wall of the bronchi and washes away all impurities from the surface. This removes microorganisms and dust. If there is an accumulation of thick bronchial secretions or a large foreign body enters the lumen of the bronchi, they are removed by coughing - a protective mechanism aimed at cleansing the bronchial tree.

In the walls of the bronchi there are annular bundles of small muscles that are able to block the flow of air when it is contaminated. This is how bronchospasm occurs. In asthma, it is triggered when an allergen, such as plant pollen, is inhaled. In these cases, bronchospasm becomes pathological.

The lungs are located in the chest cavity. Their main function is to ensure the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the body and the environment.

The lungs are located on the sides of the mediastinum, in which the heart and blood vessels lie. Each lung is covered with a dense membrane - the pleura. Normally, there is a little fluid between its sheets, which ensures the sliding of the lungs relative to the chest wall during breathing. The right lung is larger than the left (the heart also takes up space on the left side). Through the root, located on the inside of the organ, the main bronchus, large vascular trunks, and nerves enter it. The lungs are made up of lobes: the right of three, the left of two.

The terminal bronchioles in the lungs pass into the alveolar bronchioles, which separate and become alveolar ducts. They also branch out. At their ends are alveolar sacs. On the walls of all structures, starting with the respiratory bronchioles, alveoli (breathing vesicles) open. The alveolar tree consists of these formations.

The mouth of the alveolus has a diameter of 0.1–0.2 mm. From the inside, the alveolar vesicle is covered with a thin layer of cells lying on a thin wall - the membrane. Outside, a blood capillary is adjacent to the same wall. The barrier between air and blood is called aerohematic. Its thickness is very small - 0.5 microns. An important part of it is the surfactant. It consists of proteins and phospholipids, lines the epithelium and retains the rounded shape of the alveoli during exhalation, prevents the entry of microbes from the air into the blood and fluids from the capillaries into the lumen of the alveoli.

In the lungs there are vessels of both circles of blood circulation. The arteries of the great circle carry oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle of the heart and directly feed the bronchi and lung tissue, like all other human organs. The arteries of the pulmonary circulation bring venous blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. It flows through the pulmonary arteries, then enters the pulmonary capillaries, where gas exchange occurs.

The gas exchange between the blood and the environment that occurs in the lungs is called external respiration. The partial pressure of oxygen in air is greater than in venous blood. Because of this difference, oxygen through the air-blood barrier penetrates from the alveoli into the capillaries. There it attaches to red blood cells and spreads through the bloodstream.

The partial pressure of carbon dioxide in venous blood is greater than in air. Because of this, carbon dioxide leaves the blood and exits with exhaled air.

During normal breathing, about 8 liters of air pass through the human respiratory system per minute. With exercise and illness, accompanied by an increase in metabolism, pulmonary ventilation increases, shortness of breath appears. If increased respiration cannot cope with maintaining normal gas exchange, the oxygen content in the blood decreases - hypoxia (oxygen starvation) occurs.

It also begins at high altitudes, where the amount of oxygen in the environment is reduced. Altitude sickness develops.

In addition to the main function - ensuring the supply of oxygen to the blood and the removal of carbon dioxide from it, the respiratory organs have several more.

Thermoregulation. The temperature of the air entering the body affects the body temperature. Exhaling, a person gives off part of the heat to the external environment, cooling the body.

Cleansing. On exhalation, not only carbon dioxide is removed from the body, but also water vapor and other substances.

Maintaining immunity. Lung cells are able to neutralize viruses and pathogenic bacteria.

Gas exchange occurs due to the alternation of acts of inhalation (inspiration) and exhalation (expiration). There is no muscle tissue in the lungs, so the mechanism of breathing is carried out due to the respiratory muscles. Its main components are the intercostal muscles, the diaphragm, and the accessory muscles of the neck and abdomen.

On inspiration, the chest rises due to the intercostal muscles. In this case, the seal and contraction of the diaphragm occurs. On exhalation, the muscles relax, the diaphragm returns to its previous position, rising up, and displaces air filled with carbon dioxide from the body.

The human body consumes about 20 kilograms of air daily, and in the composition of the air it inhales 21.3% oxygen, 0.3% carbon dioxide, and the exhaled air contains 16.3% oxygen, 4.0% carbon dioxide. This is how gas exchange occurs. In addition, the air contains 79% nitrogen, 1% argon and other inert gases in small quantities. In addition, during breathing, thermoregulation and water metabolism are ensured (during breathing, water evaporates from the lungs), and gaseous metabolic products are also removed.

In the respiratory center in the human brain there is a center for inhalation and exhalation. During normal breathing, the inspiratory center sends a signal to the respiratory muscles and stimulates contraction, which leads to an increase in the volume of the chest and air enters the lungs. With an increase in lung volume, stretch receptors in the lung walls are stimulated, which give an impulse to the expiratory center. This center suppresses the inhalation center, the respiratory muscles relax, exhalation is carried out. If, for example, the human body, during physical exertion, begins to intensively absorb oxygen and, as a result, release a lot of carbon dioxide, this leads to the formation of carbonic acid in the blood, and lactic acid in the muscles. These acids excite the respiratory center, and the depth and frequency of breathing increase, providing a balance of gas exchange.

In large vessels extending from the heart, there are receptors that respond to a decrease in the oxygen content in the blood, stimulating the respiratory center to increase the respiratory rate. Such a system of self-regulation of breathing makes it possible to ensure the functioning of all systems and organs, regardless of the conditions in which a person breathes.

The vital capacity of the lungs is an important indicator for determining the state of the external respiration apparatus. For women, the vital capacity (VC) is approximately 3.5 liters; for men - from 4 to 5 liters. The highest rates are among athletes whose activities are associated with active breathing (skiers, rowers, swimmers, athletes).

VC can be determined using spirography. The person inhales as deeply as possible and then exhales through a tube connected to a machine called a spirograph.

The decrease in lung capacity can be affected by smoking, living in an environmentally unfavorable environment, lack of physical activity. With a chronic decrease in VC, pathological conditions of the pleural cavity or lung tissue occur, which leads to respiratory failure. A person is forced to breathe more often, as he feels a constant lack of air. Lack of oxygen causes dizziness, weakness, and poor health. All this over time can lead to various diseases: bronchitis, pleurisy, asthma, emphysema, etc.

To maintain normal lung capacity and ensure proper breathing, special exercises aimed at adjusting the mechanism of the respiratory muscles help.

Why do we need carbon dioxide

The air that a person breathes now contains 0.3% carbon dioxide, and the ancient air of our planet was supersaturated with carbon dioxide, and the body of ancient animals functioned taking into account this indicator. As you know, the human embryo in the process of development goes through all the stages of human development. That is why a fertilized egg in the first days is almost in an oxygen-free environment - oxygen is simply fatal for it. And only as the placental circulation develops and forms, oxygen respiration gradually begins to work. In the blood of a human fetus, there is 2 times more carbon dioxide, and 4 times less oxygen than in an adult.

Excess oxygen is detrimental to all living things, because oxygen is a strong oxidizing agent, which under certain conditions can destroy cell membranes.

The human body receives carbon dioxide from the breakdown of food, especially carbohydrates; when oxidized with the help of oxygen, carbon dioxide is formed in the tissues of the body. It is an important component in the regulation of respiration in the human body; changes the acid-base balance - the most important factor in health; dilates blood vessels and thereby reduces pressure; the supply of oxygen to cells depends on it, since hemoglobin gives off oxygen only if there is a certain concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood.

He also participates in the distribution of sodium ions in the tissues of the body; affects the activity of enzymes and the permeability of cell membranes; the concentration of carbon dioxide is directly proportional to the intensity of the functioning of the digestive glands; calms the nervous system; involved in the synthesis of amino acids. Even the frequency of breathing is regulated by the brain according to the level of carbon dioxide.

More than a hundred years ago, the Russian scientist B. F. Verigo, and then the Danish physiologist Christian Bohr, discovered the effect named after them. It lies in the fact that with a deficiency of carbon dioxide in the blood, all biochemical processes of the body are disrupted. This means that the deeper and more intensively a person breathes, the greater the oxygen starvation of the body. The more CO 2 in the blood, the more oxygen reaches the cells and is absorbed by them. Thus, an excess of oxygen and a lack of carbon dioxide lead to oxygen starvation. The Verigo-Bohr effect is that without the presence of carbon dioxide, oxygen cannot be released from the bound state with hemoglobin, which leads to oxygen starvation of the body even at a high concentration of oxygen in the blood.

The more noticeable the content of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood, the easier it is to detach oxygen from hemoglobin and transfer it to tissues and organs, and vice versa - the lack of carbon dioxide in the blood contributes to the fixation of oxygen in erythrocytes. A paradoxical state arises: there is enough oxygen in the blood, and the organs signal its extreme lack. A person begins to choke, seeks to inhale and exhale, tries to breathe more often and even more carbon dioxide is washed out of the blood, fixing oxygen in red blood cells.

Any active sports, and even just physical education, or walking, or physical work are useful precisely because the content of carbon dioxide increases in the human blood. Small arteries expand, blood flow increases, nutrition of the brain and internal organs improves. Regular hypercapnia activates the production of vascular growth factors, which leads to the formation of a more extensive capillary network and optimization of tissue blood circulation in the brain.

The signal for the next breath is not a lack of oxygen, but an excess of carbon dioxide. It is the carbon dioxide accumulated in the blood that is the physiological stimulator of respiration. After this discovery, carbon dioxide began to be added to the gas mixtures of scuba divers to stimulate the respiratory center. The same principle is used in anesthesia.

An increase in the level of carbonic acid in the blood is called "hypercapnia". It most often occurs when you stay in a stuffy room with poor ventilation for a long time, when swimming with a very long breathing tube, while holding your breath underwater.

A decrease in the level of carbonic acid in the blood is called "hypocapnia" and most often occurs with rapid breathing (hyperventilation). This leads to the development of gas (respiratory) alkalosis - this is a violation of the regulation of acid-base balance. Hypocapnia redistributes blood flow, diverting blood to the muscles by reducing blood flow in the heart, brain, gastrointestinal tract, liver, and kidneys.

Hyperventilation always happens with stress, because stress is aimed at the fact that now a person will begin to act: run for his life, or start to fight. Hyperventilation is an evolutionarily developed reaction that makes the motor response to stress faster, more intense and perfect.

Hyperventilation caused by situational stress in a healthy person stops with the end of stress.

But with prolonged psycho-emotional stress, a number of people experience a violation of the regulation of breathing, and such excessive breathing can take hold, initiating the phenomenon of chronic neurogenic hyperventilation. The activity of the body is disrupted, then diseases begin to develop.

Yogi breathing helps to lose as little carbon dioxide as possible. And the breathing of ordinary people is chronic hyperventilation of the lungs, excessive removal of carbon dioxide from the body, which causes the emergence of various diseases, often referred to as "diseases of civilization."

There is a theory that the root cause of hypertension is precisely the insufficient concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood. To do this, in the early 1990s, Russian physiologists found out how much carbon dioxide is in the arterial blood of hypertensive patients and healthy people.

ON THE. Agadzhanyan, N.P. Krasnikov, I.N. Polunin found out the gas composition of the blood of large groups of the population of different ages. The vast majority of the examined elderly people at rest in the arterial blood contained 3.6-4.5% carbon dioxide at a rate of 6-6.5%.

It has been proven that exercises that cause hypoxia in the plains are more beneficial to health than just being in the mountains, even for someone who easily tolerates the mountain climate. This is due to the fact that, breathing rarefied mountain air, a person breathes deeper than usual in order to get more oxygen. Deeper breaths automatically lead to deeper exhalations, which leads to the removal of carbon dioxide from the body and various disturbances in its activity, starting with vasospasm.

And mountain sickness itself is associated not only with oxygen deficiency, but also with excessive loss of carbon dioxide during deep breathing.

The benefits of such exercises as running, swimming, rowing, cycling, skiing, etc. are largely determined by the fact that a mode of moderate hypoxia is created in the body, when the body's need for oxygen exceeds the ability of the respiratory apparatus to satisfy this need, and hypercapnia, when in The body produces more carbon dioxide than the body can expel with the lungs.

Types of breathing

The most diverse types of breathing exercises and practices are based on several types of breathing: lower (diaphragmatic), middle (costal), upper (clavicular), full (mixed). Their difference lies in the fact that each type of breathing is used to ventilate a separate section of the lungs.

Diaphragmatic breathing is carried out with the contraction of the diaphragm, the muscles of the abdominal cavity. On inspiration, when the diaphragm is lowered, negative pressure in the chest rises, the lower part of the lungs is filled with air. When inhaling, intra-abdominal pressure rises, the abdominal wall protrudes. On exhalation, the abdominal wall returns to its normal position, and the diaphragm rises, the lower part of the lungs and partially the middle part are ventilated.

Costal breathing is performed with the help of intercostal muscles, while the chest rises slightly, expands to the sides and slightly upwards, the middle part of the lungs is ventilated.

With clavicular breathing, respiratory movements occur in the process of raising the clavicles and shoulders up, while the chest is motionless, the diaphragm is somewhat retracted. The upper part of the lungs is ventilated, a little average.

Full breathing is a combination of the three previous types of breathing, it provides uniform ventilation of the entire volume of the lungs. Yogis consider full breathing to be the most beneficial of all.

Also, breathing can be deep and slow, deep and frequent, shallow and slow, shallow and frequent.

Deep and slow breathing - the breath is slow, somewhat stretched. Such breathing relaxes the body, is used to neutralize uncomfortable conditions, negative emotions.

Deep and frequent breathing twice as often and deeper than natural breathing is used in breathing practices to hyperventilate the lungs, saturate the body with oxygen.

Shallow and slow breathing is used in breathing practices to gradually exit from them.

Shallow and rapid breathing is used to overcome negative experiences, as an effective help at the peak of emotions, to get rid of them.

There is a technique of direct and reverse breathing.

Direct breathing is a natural type of breathing that is used by a person in everyday life.

Reverse breathing is characterized by movements of the abdomen that are opposite to natural, it is used occasionally, for example, when doing hard work. When you inhale, the lower abdomen tenses, tightens, and the diaphragm goes down, which allows air to fill the lungs. When you exhale, the abdomen relaxes, the diaphragm rises, removing air from the lungs. When lifting weights, a person breathes so unconsciously, since reverse breathing allows you to receive significant physical resources.

How to breathe properly

At rest, a slow, shallow breath, holding the breath, a slow, shallow exhalation are optimal for a person. The exhalation should be twice as long as the inhalation, and the breath should be held in time equal to the length of the inhalation. Extended exhalation and breath holding allow you to keep carbon dioxide in the body.

When you hold your breath while inhaling, more blood enters the lungs and heart, the ventilated surface of the lungs increases, so the transfer of oxygen into the blood is more efficient. Carbon dioxide is not removed (breath-holding), accumulates in the blood, contributing to the increased release of oxygen by hemoglobin. So when you hold your breath while inhaling, a person contributes to the saturation of the body with oxygen, stimulates gas exchange.

While holding the breath on exhalation, the flow of blood to the heart, on the contrary, decreases and the heart begins to contract idle (there is less blood in it) - this negatively affects the functioning of the circulatory system. The lungs also receive little blood, their ventilated surface decreases (since the lungs are compressed). In the blood, the concentration of carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions sharply increases.

You should not hold your breath at the maximum inhalation and exhalation, the recommended figure is 70-80% of the maximum. If the breath is held at the maximum inspiration, then this threatens to stretch the lung tissue. When inhaling, diaphragmatic breathing should be used more. Holding your breath at maximum exhalation is a guarantee of an unbalanced work of the heart. With a weak heart, you should not hold your breath while exhaling.

When inhaling and exhaling, it is recommended to breathe with the help of the diaphragm, that is, the stomach. Such breathing is also called the "lymphatic heart", as it promotes the pumping of fluids, massage of internal organs is performed, blood circulation of the pelvic, abdominal cavity and legs is normalized.

It is necessary to breathe through the nose, since in this case the air is filtered and heated, but with significant physical exertion, breathing through the mouth is allowed to restore breathing. In addition, mouth breathing is used in some breathing practices.

It is believed that a person who has mastered proper breathing automatically starts the mechanism of self-healing. What this process is, no one knows for sure yet, since the human body is a super-complex system, knowledge about which is not so great now, but experience shows that the process of self-healing is really happening.

To get rid of specific diseases, there are many methods of effective treatment with breathing. They differ in combinations of different types of breathing.

With the help of breathing, you can regulate the psycho-emotional state of a person. This state is closely related to breathing, therefore, by changing the rhythm of breathing, negative emotions can be neutralized. Any violation in the body changes the rhythm of breathing, and by restoring the rhythm of breathing, you can restore the normal functioning of the body.

When performing exercises, you should focus on muscle tension on inhalation, and to relax on exhalation.

All methods of therapeutic breathing can be divided into several subgroups according to the complexity of execution and the number of uses of the functions and properties of the human body:

1. Methods of therapeutic breathing with various combinations of its types (for example, the Buteyko method, breathing exercises by Strelnikova).

2. Combination of therapeutic breathing, consciousness, body. This method is more difficult to master, requires great concentration on the balance in the interaction of the body, breath and consciousness (for example, qigong, Norbekov's breathing).

3. Techniques based on achieving an altered state of consciousness, using circulation breathing (the effect of hyperventilation of the lungs), during breathing, work is carried out with a positive attitude, human sensations are used to gain access to consciousness. The connection of breath and consciousness, in an altered state, allows you to get rid of the burden of past experiences, mental trauma (for example, rebirthing, holotropic breathing). These are very complex and not entirely safe techniques due to manipulations with the brain, not always predictable results and consequences. Therefore, their use is recommended only under the guidance of an instructor, in whose professionalism you can be sure.

The effectiveness of the first two breathing groups has been proven by the mass application.

Each method of breathing therapy may have contraindications, therefore, all methods of therapeutic breathing always begin with a study of the list of contraindications.

There are three types of breathing: thoracic, abdominal (diaphragmatic) and mixed (harmonic, or complete), depending on which muscles are predominantly involved in the act of breathing. In women, the thoracic type of breathing prevails, and in men - abdominal. However, the most rational is the mixed type. With it, the muscles of the abdominal press, chest, diaphragm, etc. take the greatest part in the act of breathing. With harmoniously complete breathing, all the alveoli of the lungs are fully included in the work.

Proper breathing requires proper posture. In order to acquire it, you need to stand up straight, feet together. Raise your hands up, palms forward; lowering straight arms through the sides, firmly press the edges of the palms to the hips. You will get a “hands at the seams” stance with palms open and facing forward. Now you need to relax, but keep the spine that way, this is the correct posture.

If a person is already accustomed to holding an incorrect posture, then it can be corrected with the help of the “snake” yoga pose (purna sarpasana). To do this, you need to lie face down on the mat, leaning on your hands, raise the upper part of the body as high as possible, in no case tearing off the lower part from the floor, tilt your head back, look up. Breathing is arbitrary through the nose. Without moving your arms and legs, without lifting your lower abdomen from the mat, turn to the left so that you can see the heel of your right leg sideways over your shoulder. Then turn to the right so that you can see the heel of the left foot. Bend over again, throwing back your head and looking up, lower yourself onto the mat.

Then you need to repeat the exercise in a different sequence: up - right - left - up - down.

The exercise should be performed smoothly, with a delay in each position from 2-3 to 30 seconds. During execution, the legs should be straight, the abdominal muscles are tense. It is best to combine turns and lowering of the body with exhalation.

Another option for correcting posture: several times a day, having taken the correct posture, walk for several minutes, taking care of yourself.

Finally, it is useful to put your hands behind your back as often as possible, folding them with your palms behind your back, and stand or walk like that for a minute.

It is also helpful to practice lower, middle and upper breathing.

Lower breathing. After the most complete exhalation, relax the abdominal muscles, wait until there is a desire to inhale, and start a slow, even breath, sticking out the stomach, due to which the diaphragm flattens and lowers, the lower part of the lungs is stretched. After a full breath, without pausing, slowly drawing in the stomach, exhale to failure and inhale again. Pick up the rhythm so that the exhalation is longer than the inhalation and so that there is no need to switch to normal breathing. Conduct no more than seven cycles of such breathing in a row and no more than five times a day.

With medium breathing, instead of protruding the abdomen, you need to expand the chest, stretching the ribs. Otherwise, everything is done in the same way as with upper breathing, including the number of exercises per day.

With upper breathing, inhalation occurs due to a slight rise in the clavicles, and exhalation occurs due to their lowering. A sharp exhalation before starting this exercise is not necessary. Otherwise, everything is performed as with lower and middle breathing.

These exercises are needed to restore the full participation in breathing of those respiratory muscles that have “weaned” from this due to the fact that a person has acquired the habit of breathing not with the entire volume of the lungs. Having mastered the technique of exercises, feeling that the respiratory muscles have gained strength, you can stop the exercises. Now all the alveoli of the lungs will be ventilated equally. If at the same time a person forgets about the breathing technique and stops paying attention to how he breathes, his breathing will become full.

For health, the correct structure of breathing is also necessary, when the exhalation should be twice as long as the inhalation. In this case, the inhalation is lengthened or remains normal, and the exhalation is lengthened in accordance with the specified proportion. It is best to learn how to breathe like this while walking evenly, on a walk. It is necessary to choose such a pace and count of steps so that you can breathe rhythmically and without shocks smoothly, observing this proportion, and not feel the desire to switch to a different breathing rate. This will change the rhythm of involuntary breathing in the direction of lengthening the exhalation.

With great physical exertion, exhalation can not be lengthened, but activated in order to quickly free the lungs from air supersaturated with carbon dioxide. However, after the overload stops, it is necessary to breathe deeper and more slowly, since the body at this time needs more oxygen than during the load.

Studies show that there are many nerve endings in the nasal cavity that are sensitive to air movement. These endings have a direct connection with a special center responsible for the tone of the muscles of the bronchi. The reflex, which began in the nasal cavity, through this center reaches the nerve perceiving endings of the bronchi, contributing to a more complete breath. There is also evidence that the nerve endings of the nasal cavity are involved in establishing a deeper and more rhythmic breathing. That is why it is better to breathe through the nose, and not with an open mouth.

With intense physical exertion, when shortness of breath develops and there is a need to breathe through the mouth, one should inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth.

During the performance of physical exercises, it is necessary to combine breathing with the phases of movement, avoiding involuntary delays in inhalation and exhalation. Dosed and short-term arbitrary breath-holds included in the respiratory cycle can be used as special exercises.

Inhalation corresponds to movements that expand the chest (spreading the arms, straightening the torso, etc.), and exhaling corresponds to movements leading to a decrease in the volume of the chest (bringing the arms, tilting the torso, etc.). If by the nature of the exercise it is impossible to distinguish between the phases of movement, you should breathe evenly. With cyclic movements (walking, running), a certain number of movements (steps) is inhaled and a certain (larger number) is exhaled.

Exercises with full breathing massage the internal organs, activate the brain, accelerate the venous blood flow. Under their influence, the respiratory muscles of the chest, diaphragm and abdominal muscles develop, the excursion (range of respiratory movements) of the chest and the vital capacity of the lungs increase, the ability to control breathing under conditions of muscle load improves.

There are quite a lot of them, and they were all developed with specific goals.

Professor E.A. Kovalenko and co-authors developed a method of impulsive breathing, when a person breathes air with a low oxygen content for 2–10 minutes, and then from 2 to 10 minutes with ordinary atmospheric air. And so several times. This leads to the normalization of the activity of the respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous systems, metabolic processes.

To quickly adjust the emotional state of V.K. Durymanov suggested rhythmic breathing: a calm, light breath, pause, the same exhalation, pause, then breathe out a little, pause, and the cycle repeats again. The duration of inhalation and exhalation - according to well-being.

In addition, he drew attention to the nature of laughter, in which a person exhales in jerks. It is necessary to divide the breath into 4 portions, a pause and 4 portions of the exhalation. Or you can just laugh. This soothing breath contributes to the normalization of excitatory and inhibitory processes in disorders of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Often, after singing, general well-being improves. With a long and smooth exhalation, the respiratory rate decreases, carbon dioxide is retained in the body, which relieves vasospasm, improves blood supply to organs, metabolic processes; the person becomes well.

K.P. Buteyko drew attention to the fact that people, as a rule, breathe deeply and often, and this, in turn, leads to diseases. The method proposed by him leads to a decrease in ventilation of the lungs, and consequently, to a decrease in the leaching of carbon dioxide from the tissues. As a result, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the tissues rises to normal, vasospasm is relieved, thereby improving the condition of patients. K.P. Buteyko proposed a rather complex training system that requires calculations.

A.N. Strelnikova recommends taking deep breaths in antiphase of movements, which requires some training. In general, her breathing training system is based on a combination of voluntary hyperventilation with intensive work of various muscle groups.

Inhalations through her system should be light and superficial and accompanied by grasping movements of the hands. At the same time, the practitioner, as it were, prevents the expansion of the upper part of the chest during inhalation. Exhalation is done voluntarily. A practically healthy person is recommended to take 1200 such breaths daily.

Breathing training according to A.N. Strelnikova found wide application primarily in the practice of actors in the production of voice. After all, when performing breathing exercises according to her method, not only the vocal cords and muscles of the larynx, but also the muscles of the diaphragm, abdomen, hips and legs participate in the extraction of sound. The muscles automatically connected to work take on part of the load and thereby protect the vocal cords from overstrain. This technique has proven to be very effective.

As special studies have shown, pulmonary ventilation during such gymnastics increases by 5–6 times, but at the same time, the intensive work of many muscles helps to maintain a constant concentration of carbon dioxide in the body.

The simplest is the breathing method proposed by the Vietnamese: deep breath, pause, active deep exhalation, pause. When inhaling, inflate the stomach as much as possible, when exhaling, retract the stomach as much as possible.

When you hold your breath while inhaling, favorable conditions are created for the intensive assimilation of oxygen. When you hold your breath on exhalation, there is a more intensive process of removing carbon dioxide and other metabolic products from the blood. There is a better outflow of venous blood from the abdominal organs, including the legs, to the heart and its better saturation in the lungs.

In Tibetan medicine, the na-yang-gun breathing exercise is widely used. Breathing during this exercise is carried out through the nose. When inhaling, the tongue touches the sky, then there is a pause and then exhalation, during which the tongue drops to its normal state. The trainee should pronounce words to himself, the duration of which corresponds to the duration of the respiratory cycle. Start with three one-syllable words. The first is pronounced on the inhale, the second on the exhale. In the future, gradually lengthen the spoken phrase. And all the lengthening occurs due to the lengthening of the pause. As the duration of the lesson reaches 9 monosyllabic words, of which 7 are paused. The spoken words should not be neutral, it is desirable that they inspire confidence in the benefits of the exercises.

Thus, in Tibetan breathing exercises, much attention is paid to the combination of breathing exercises with positive self-hypnosis.

The same principle is used in Indian breathing exercises, which are part of the exercises called Hatha Yoga. “One generation of right breathing people,” wrote one of the yoga teachers Ramacharaka, “will revive humanity and make diseases so rare that they will be looked at as something extraordinary.”

Yogis have a breathing exercise called "Ujjay". The performer first inhales through the nose for 8 s, then holds on inhalation for 8–32 s, and then exhales through the mouth for 16 s. Studies have shown that when performing this exercise, due to the tension of the respiratory muscles during inhalation, the body's oxygen consumption becomes even greater than when performing breathing exercises associated with intense hyperventilation and increased work of the abdominal muscles during the same time interval.

- inhalation is done through the nose. First, the belly protrudes. Then the chest is inflated from the bottom up, and the stomach is slightly selected;

- hold your breath for 2-3 seconds;

- exhale through the nose. First, the stomach is drawn in. The air comes out as if in the opposite way - first from the upper, then from the lower part of the chest.

The main symptoms of respiratory diseases

These can be cough and sputum production, hemoptysis, chest pain, especially when breathing, shortness of breath and asthma attacks. These symptoms can be observed and accounted for, and are often the reason for going to the doctor. They are considered basic in pulmonology, and they need to be known.

Cough. To obtain a correct idea of ​​a cough, it is necessary to clarify: 1) the time of its occurrence (morning, afternoon, evening, night); 2) the nature of the cough (permanent or paroxysmal); 3) intensity (strong - "barking", light - coughing); 4) cough productivity (dry or wet - with sputum), the amount of sputum and its nature (mucous, purulent, etc.), color, smell, other features, for example, sputum separation with a “full mouth” at a certain body position, etc. ; 5) causes that cause or increase cough (unpleasant smell, change in body position, physical activity, etc.); 6) what cough is accompanied by (headache, nausea, vomiting, suffocation, etc.); 7) why the cough decreases or disappears (change in body position, clean air, taking medication - which one).

Cough is a common and early symptom of respiratory disease. But it can be associated with damage to other organs: a persistent or paroxysmal dry cough of a reflex nature, for example, occurs when the branches of the vagus nerve are irritated - with a tumor of the mediastinum, aortic aneurysm, enlarged left atrium. At the same time, cough may be absent even with obvious damage to the respiratory organs, for example, damage to the small bronchi, with shallow breathing in elderly, debilitated patients.

There are two main types of cough - dry and wet. Dry cough is typical for the early stage of bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, etc. Subsequently, it can be replaced by a wet one (with bronchitis and pneumonia). With a wet cough, the characteristic of sputum discharge has a diagnostic value. So, mucous sputum is characteristic of the initial period of bronchitis; mucopurulent is observed in most broncho-pulmonary diseases (bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.); purulent sputum is characteristic of a lung abscess, festering bronchiectasis; serous sputum can be separated with venous plethora of the lungs. A symptom of croupous pneumonia is "rusty sputum".

Hemoptysis- Excretion of sputum with blood. Hemoptysis should be distinguished from the discharge of blood from the oral cavity, from nosebleeds. Hemoptysis occurs with pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, bronchitis, fungal infection of the lungs, heart attack, pneumonia, etc. A fracture of the ribs with a lung injury, foreign bodies of the bronchi, their neoplasms, venous plethora of the lungs can also lead to hemoptysis.

Chest pain may be superficial or deep. Superficial pain is usually associated with damage to the ribs, muscles, intercostal nerves, tendons. Such pains are recognized by careful examination and palpation of the chest, in which local soreness and muscle tension are detected. The pains associated with damage to the lungs are deep in nature, aggravated by deep breathing, coughing, and precisely localized by the patient. These pains are the result of irritation of the pleura. With the accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity, they subside.

Chest pain may be the result of damage to other organs of the chest cavity, most often - the heart and large vessels (with myocarditis, angina pectoris, aortitis), or be a consequence of the spread of pain in case of damage to the abdominal organs (with cholecystitis, stomach ulcer, etc.).

Dyspnea- a common symptom of respiratory diseases. It can be only a subjective sensation or be recorded objectively by quickening of breathing. It is necessary to distinguish between shortness of breath during exertion or at rest, as this characterizes a different degree of respiratory failure. The appearance of shortness of breath in a long-term coughing patient during physical exertion or the transition from a warm room to a cold one indicates a violation of bronchial patency.

Suffocation(asthma) is an extreme degree of shortness of breath, bordering on suffocation. Choking often occurs suddenly. It happens both with bronchial and cardiac asthma. In some patients with severe pulmonary and cardiac pathology, asthma has a mixed character: the symptoms of heart failure are combined with bronchospasm. Bronchial asthma, unlike cardiac asthma, is characterized by: a kind of forced position in bed (sitting to breathe easier), hoarse, wheezing breathing, diffuse dry rales in the chest of various tonalities (“music in the chest”), the use of bronchodilators is effective.

What diseases cause shortness of breath

When a person with shortness of breath goes to the doctor, the doctor will definitely find out the following questions:

- when shortness of breath occurred;

- Do seizures occur only during physical exertion or at rest too;

- which is more difficult to do: inhale or exhale;

- in what position it becomes easier to breathe;

- Are there any other symptoms?

Doctors distinguish three types of shortness of breath: inspiratory occurs on inspiration; expiratory - on exhalation; mixed shortness of breath - both inhalation and exhalation are difficult. They indicate different diseases.

Cardiac shortness of breath occurs as a result of diseases of the cardiovascular system. It is characterized by shortness of breath during walking and physical exertion. If the heart disease develops further, then there may be constant shortness of breath, which persists at rest, even in sleep.

In diseases of the heart, accompanied by heart failure, shortness of breath is combined with some other symptoms:

- swelling on the legs, which appear mainly in the evening;

- periodic pain in the heart, sensations of increased heart rate (tachycardia) and interruptions in the pulse (arrhythmias);

- a cyanotic tint of the skin of the feet, fingers and toes, the tip of the nose and earlobes;

- high or low blood pressure;

- general weakness, increased fatigue;

- frequent dizziness, sometimes fainting;

- often a person is worried about a dry cough that occurs in the form of seizures (the so-called heart cough).

Diseases with shortness of breath of cardiac origin are treated by general practitioners and cardiologists.

To diagnose a specific disease, general and biochemical blood tests, ECG, ultrasound of the heart, X-ray and computed tomography of the chest are prescribed.

Shortness of breath occurs with coronary heart disease, hypertension, hypotension, myocardial infarction, paroxysmal tachycardia.

Shortness of breath also occurs with pulmonary edema, a life-threatening condition that develops when the function of the left ventricle of the heart is impaired. At first, a person feels severe shortness of breath, which turns into suffocation. His breathing becomes loud, gurgling. At a distance, rales are heard from the lungs. A wet cough appears, during which clear or watery mucus leaves the lungs. The skin turns blue. Only emergency medical assistance can help.

Shortness of breath is a symptom of almost all diseases of the lungs and bronchi. With the defeat of the respiratory tract, it is associated with difficulty in the passage of air on inhalation or exhalation. In diseases of the lungs, shortness of breath occurs due to the fact that oxygen cannot normally penetrate through the walls of the alveoli into the bloodstream.

Shortness of breath can be with bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchial asthma, lung tumors, tuberculosis and other lung diseases.

Paleness and shortness of breath are a characteristic sign of anemia. With it, the number and size of red blood cells decreases in the blood, and there is less hemoglobin in red blood cells.

There is shortness of breath in other diseases and conditions, for example, after a heavy meal. There is a mechanism at work here. After eating, the digestive system begins to operate. The mucous membrane of the stomach, pancreas and intestines begin to secrete digestive enzymes. It takes energy to push food through the digestive tract. Then the proteins, fats and carbohydrates processed by enzymes are absorbed into the bloodstream. A lot of blood flows to the organs of the digestive system. The blood flow in the body is redistributed: the intestines receive more oxygen, the rest of the organs receive less. If the body is working normally, then the person does not particularly notice this. If there are any diseases and deviations, then oxygen starvation develops in the internal organs, and the lungs, trying to eliminate it, begin to work at an accelerated pace. Shortness of breath appears. If this happens constantly, then it is better to go to the doctor and look for the cause.

Overweight and obesity are often accompanied by shortness of breath, because the organs and tissues do not receive enough blood, because it is difficult for the heart to push it through the entire body of fat. Fat is also deposited in the internal organs, making it difficult for the heart and lungs to work. The subcutaneous layer of fat makes it difficult for the respiratory muscles to work. Moreover, overweight and obesity are often accompanied by atherosclerosis and arterial hypertension - these factors also contribute to the occurrence of shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath also happens with diabetes. If the blood glucose level is elevated, then over time, small vessels (capillaries) are affected. As a result, the organs are constantly in a state of oxygen starvation. And type II diabetes is often accompanied by excess weight, which makes it difficult for the heart and lungs to function.

Thyrotoxicosis is a condition in which there is excessive production of thyroid hormones. In this case, among other symptoms, shortness of breath occurs. This happens because all metabolic processes are intensifying in the body and it needs an increased amount of oxygen. At the same time, the heart rate increases.

Shortness of breath also occurs during pregnancy. And this is not a pathology. During pregnancy, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of women begin to experience increased stress, because a growing child requires more oxygen. Because of this, the total volume of blood circulating in the body increases. And a growing child begins to squeeze the diaphragm, heart and lungs from below, which makes it difficult to breathe and heart contractions. In addition, with malnutrition, a pregnant woman may develop anemia. As a result of all this, there is a constant slight shortness of breath during pregnancy. It intensifies during physical exertion, stress, experiences. The later the pregnancy is, the more it manifests itself. If shortness of breath during pregnancy is severe and often worries, then you should definitely talk to the antenatal clinic doctor.

Hello dear readers!

Do you suffer from asthma, hypertension and other serious illnesses? Do you want to heal without using drugs? Then you just need to learn about the methodology of the famous Russian scientist Buteyko!

And just in this article we talk about his unique system of superficial therapeutic breathing. By applying our advice and recommendations, you can get rid of the symptoms of many diseases, and by practicing the proposed set of Buteyko exercises, gain precious health.

K. P. Buteyko and his discovery

How a person breathes affects his well-being and health. The ancients understood this, and therefore, thousands of years ago, various breathing practices appeared: Chinese Qi-gong, Indian Pranayama, the Buddhist Vajrayana system, and others. Among the modern developments in the field of proper breathing for the treatment of ailments, one of the most effective is the Buteyko method.

Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko (1923 - 2003) Soviet scientist, physiologist, professor of medicine. He made his discovery in 1952, developing a unique method of shallow breathing. Its author had to prove the effectiveness of his method in practice for many years, and only in the 80s the USSR Ministry of Health gave legal status to the Buteyko method.

Konstantin Pavlovich proved the effectiveness of his system for hypertension on himself. Suffering from a malignant form of this disease and observing seriously ill patients, he invented his method of volitional elimination of deep breathing. Having applied his breathing exercises, the scientist was completely cured and began to introduce his own achievements in the process of treating patients with various diseases.

Proper breathing according to the Buteyko system and the essence of the method

According to the Buteyko teachings, very deep breathing is the cause of many diseases. In the human lungs, oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide. Hyperventilation disrupts this exchange and does not lead to an increase in oxygen in the lungs, but the amount of carbon dioxide necessary for the full life of the human body decreases. As a result, cells do not receive enough oxygen, provoking even deeper breathing, which leads to spasm of blood vessels.

The body tries to prevent a lack of CO2, resulting in spasms in asthma, hypertension, and metabolic diseases. Therefore, Buteyko suggested breathing only through the nose and limiting deep breathing. This allows you to balance the ratio of oxygen and CO2. You need to breathe calmly, being in a state of complete relaxation. However, do not allow excessive lack of air.

Shallow breathing is the most correct. With it, the diaphragm is relaxed and the stomach and chest do not move. The air reaches the clavicular region, and this is like sniffing an unknown substance carefully. The general scheme of Buteyko is simple: inhaling a small volume of air lasts about 3 seconds, then exhaling for 3-4 seconds, and then a four-second pause.

Who is shown the Buteyko technique and what are its benefits

The author of the technique believed that more than 100 diseases could be cured using the system he proposed. Buteyko's special breathing showed high efficiency in cases of emphysema, allergies, ailments of the gastrointestinal tract, and diseases of the central nervous system.

According to studies, this method of treatment is effective not only for asthmatics. Exercises are successfully applied to the nose, removing its congestion. Diseases associated with impaired nasal breathing are also treated: rhinitis, sinusitis, laryngitis and many others.

Gymnastics by Konstantin Pavlovich stops attacks and other negative symptoms of serious diseases within a few minutes. And constant practice gives tangible results for a month and allows you to fully recover. On the Internet you can find many interesting videos of Buteyko himself and his students. Reviews of grateful followers will help to verify the effectiveness of the great scientist's system.

This breathing system is also useful for children. You can practice the Buteyko method from the age of 4 under the supervision of parents, which helps with such problems with the child's health:

• frequent colds;
• asthma and all kinds of respiratory diseases;
• adenoids and prolonged rhinitis;
• with excess weight and gastrointestinal ailments;
• allergies, various skin diseases and many others.

Contraindications for Buteyko breathing exercises

This technique is practically harmless. However, there are some contraindications that cannot be ignored:

• mental illnesses and mental deviations, in which the patient is not able to understand the essence of the method;
• severe period of infectious diseases and severe bleeding;
• diabetes mellitus for insulin dependent;
• with aneurysm and after heart surgery;
• tonsillitis in chronic form and dental diseases.

It is better for expectant mothers to be treated according to this system before pregnancy.

What do you need to know before starting classes?

The effectiveness of the method has been proven for decades, but some difficulties may arise on the way to recovery. It takes a lot of willpower, patience and regular practice. Unpleasant sensations, fear and exacerbations are possible at the beginning of mastering the system.

Do not be afraid of some pain, loss of appetite, lack of air in the early stages. The emergence of an aversion to exercise should not stop you. After some time, the disease will begin to recede.

Buteyko was confident in the strong side effects of drugs and the poisoning of the body from their action. Therefore, the scientist recommended using his method by refusing drugs, or at least halving the rate of their consumption. Severely ill patients should do this under the guidance of the attending physician.

Before classes, you can test your health. To do this, sit up straight and relax all the muscles. Now take a natural breath and hold your breath. A delay of less than 30-60 seconds indicates a painful state of the body. Using this kind of simulator, you can increase the delay every day, improving your well-being.

Preparatory phase for gymnastics by Konstantin Buteyko

With this respiratory gymnastics, the depth of breathing should be reduced gradually, and eventually reduced to zero. To prepare for the exercises, sit on the edge of a chair or any hard surface with a flat back. With your hands on your knees, look above eye level and completely relax your diaphragm.

Breathe shallowly and noiselessly through your nose, and soon you will feel the lack of air. Stay in this state for 10-15 minutes. If it becomes necessary to increase the depth of inhalation, do so, but continue to breathe in the upper part of the thoracic region.

If performed correctly, a feeling of intense heat will follow, and you may be covered in perspiration. By relaxing the diaphragm, you can get rid of the desire to take a deep breath. You need to finish this preliminary exercise without deepening your breath. Before carrying out this preparation and at the end, hold the breath completely and fix the pulse.

A set of breathing exercises according to the Buteyko method

Having completed the preparation, go directly to the classes on this treatment system:

1. Engage only the upper lung sections: inhale, then exhale, pause. Five seconds for each stage. Repeat these cycles 10 times.

2. This exercise involves diaphragmatic and chest, that is, full breathing. Inhale for 7.5 seconds from the bottom - from the diaphragm, raising it to the thoracic region. Now exhale the same time period in the opposite direction, from top to bottom. Then there is a pause of 5 seconds. Do these cycles also 10 times.

3. Hold your breath and massage the nose points. Do the exercise 1 time.

4. According to the principle of complete breathing from the 2nd exercise, breathe first by closing the right nostril, and then the left. 10 repetitions for each nostril.

5. Again we take a full breath, but now, while inhaling, pull in the stomach and hold the abdominal muscles until the end of the exercise: inhale for 7.5 seconds, exhale the same amount of time, and then pause for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.

6. This is an exercise for complete ventilation of the lungs. Perform 12 strong deep breaths, lasting no more than 2.5 seconds. After doing this exercise for a minute, you should pause as much as you can while exhaling.

7. Perform four-level rare breathing as follows:

1. Inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds, then hold for 5 seconds. Do it within a minute.
2. Five seconds to inhale, now pause, also for 5 seconds, and now exhale for the same time. After - a delay of 5 seconds. Two minutes to complete.
3. At this level, repeat the previous exercise, but do each cycle for 7.5 seconds each. This will take 3 minutes and, accordingly, you will get 2 breaths per minute.
4. We do the last level for 4 minutes. Inhale, pause, exhale and hold for 10 seconds. You will get 1.5 breaths per minute.

It will be optimal in the future to bring the exercise to one breath in 60 seconds.

8. Double delay. Inhale and complete a complete breath hold. Then comes the exhalation - and again the maximum pause. Do 1 time.

Finish this complex with the preparatory exercise that was performed at the beginning. Do all exercises on an empty stomach, without noise, focusing on gymnastics. Do not be distracted or interrupted until the end of class.

You can learn this breathing exercise on your own and do it at home. But it is still worth consulting with a specialist first, and starting classes under his supervision. Exercise regularly and after a few sessions you will feel relief!

What to remember:

1. Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko is a scientist who was ahead of his time, who invented and implemented a unique therapeutic breathing technique.
2. The essence of his method is shallow breathing, which is necessary to maintain the required amount of carbon dioxide in the body.
3. More than 100 diseases can be cured with this breathing technique.
4. Before classes, you need to pay attention to contraindications.
5. The provided complex will help improve well-being and gain health.

See you in the next article!

Breathing practices have been known to us since ancient times. Yogis, Tibetan monks, free divers, divers, martial arts enthusiasts actively practice exercises that allow you to control your breathing. Such practices strengthen the immune system well and help get rid of various diseases. The effectiveness of breathing exercises has long been proven, and no one disputes in the modern world.

Such practices include yogic breathing, bodyflex, meditative breathing techniques, etc. Today, numerous online publications, print media, and television actively popularize breathing exercises using the Buteyko method. The authors of the articles, like a carbon copy, talk about the incredible miracles that this technique creates. Only contraindications and the number of diseases that the system treats change. Someone claims that these are more than 300 diseases, someone stops at more modest numbers. Let's figure out together where is the truth and where is the lie.

The essence of the technique. Myths and reality.

Konstantin Buteyko argued that people do not breathe correctly: too often and deeply. This leads to hyperventilation of the lungs. The body is oversaturated with oxygen, and gets very serious poisoning. To prove his theory, the scientist cites the fact that the amount of air that an asthmatic inhales is several times higher than the average. At the same time, the level of carbon dioxide in the body remains low. Thus, oxygen poisons the human body.

Oxygen poisoning does exist. This applies to technical (deep) divers. The fact is that at a depth of more than 60 meters, the air that a scuba diver breathes begins to have a toxic effect. It is for this reason that a certain percentage of the oxygen in the breathing mixture for such dives is replaced by helium. The main signs of oxygen poisoning are tinnitus, tunnel vision, convulsions, loss of consciousness. Such poisoning is treated simply: the victim is lifted several meters up, and all symptoms disappear. This condition is dangerous only if the scuba diver has dropped the breathing apparatus from his mouth. To achieve such poisoning while on the ground is impossible. Moreover, there are diseases that are treated exclusively with a pressure chamber. Where a person breathes oxygen at high pressure. Such therapy is prescribed for people with vascular problems of the brain, some autoimmune diseases, etc. That is, we will exclude the version with oxygen poisoning of the body due to deep breathing.

Now let's move on to carbon dioxide. What is it in general, what role does this element play in our body. Carbon dioxide in the human body appears in the process of breathing. At the first stage, a fresh portion of oxygen enters the lungs. It descends into the alveoli, and through a network of blood vessels enters the blood, which carries oxygen throughout the body. Organs and tissues take the element necessary for life and send it for processing (slow burning). The product of this processing is carbon dioxide. It is taken by blood on the reverse cycle, delivered to the lungs, and this element leaves the body on exhalation. That is, carbon dioxide is nothing but a product of processing. However, this element cannot be called useless. It serves as a sensor that signals to our brain that it is time to take the next breath. And also a normal level of carbon dioxide maintains the correct acid-base balance of the body. Therefore, while a person's breathing is slow, measured, he does not experience any problems.

What happens in the process of so-called hyperventilation of the lungs? Logically, the more oxygen gets into the alveoli, the more carbon dioxide should be produced. But, consider the example of a panic attack. During an attack, a person takes frequent breaths, trying to capture as much air as possible. As a rule, such breathing is very superficial. And part of the oxygen remains in the upper part of the lungs, not reaching the alveoli. Thus, part of the air does not enter the blood, but remains at the top. The amount of oxygen in the patient increases, and the level of carbon dioxide, on the contrary, decreases. This imbalance leads to health problems.

Do not forget that carbon dioxide is a decay product. Its excess in the body leads to severe headaches, fatigue, poor health.

View of modern medicine on the Buteyko respiratory system

To date, clinical studies have confirmed the effectiveness of Buteyko breathing exercises only in the treatment of asthma and allergies in adults (manifestations associated with respiratory failure). However, many note the effectiveness of this method in panic conditions and the treatment of depression. What makes it work? It's simple, so the patient learns to control his breathing. Buteyko breathing is quite difficult to perform, and requires strength and concentration. This allows you to voluntarily take control of an incipient asthma attack, or distract yourself from depressive thoughts.

In many cases, breathing practices help in the prevention of various respiratory diseases. The Buteyko breathing method can also be attributed to such practices.

Contraindications and warnings

Breathing exercises according to the Buteyko method are far from being shown to everyone. It is not recommended for people with the following contraindications:

1. Various mental disorders.
2. Impaired nutrition of the brain (in such diseases, high levels of carbon dioxide and lack of oxygen can lead to irreversible damage to the cerebral cortex)
3. Tendency to bleed
4. Aneurysm
5. Diabetes
6. Diseases of the cardiovascular system
7. Infectious diseases in the acute stage
8. Pregnancy period (remember that mother and baby are connected by the same circulatory system. Lack of oxygen can lead to serious disturbances in the development of the fetus)

Numerous sites describing Buteyko breathing exercises recommend completely abandoning drug therapy and additional procedures. This is absolutely impossible to do. Remember that the therapeutic effect of this method is clinically proven only in the treatment of bronchial asthma. If we are talking about the treatment of a chronic disease, oncology, etc., then this technique can only be used with the permission of the attending physician

Preparatory exercises

And now, let's go directly to the Buteyko gymnastics itself. In order to start performing basic exercises, you need to prepare the body:

1. Switch to shallow breathing
2. Learn to inhale only when you feel short of breath
3. Inhale longer than inhale

In order to master these skills, K. Buteyko developed several preparatory exercises.

Exercise 1. It is called "rower in a kayak." All movements are performed in parallel with breathing.

1. On the inhale - you need to raise your shoulders, on the exhale - lower.
2. On inspiration - we take our shoulders back, connecting the shoulder blades, on exhalation - we take our hands forward.
3. On inspiration - tilt to one side, on exhalation - return to the starting position. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction.
4. Inhale - tilt your head back, exhale - forward.
5. Inhale - turn the body to the right, exhale - return to the starting position. We repeat the movement on the other side.
6. The final movement is circular movements of the shoulders that mimic rowing.

The last movement is performed without breath control. The total time to complete the exercise takes 6-10 minutes.

Exercise 2. Soldier

Starting position: you need to stand up straight, raising your head and straightening your chest. The stomach is drawn in, the shoulders are deployed. While inhaling, we slowly rise on our toes, hold our breath for a few seconds and slowly lower ourselves. We take a slow breath.

After each exercise, you need to relax and unwind.

Proper breathing according to the Buteyko breathing system

Proper breathing is the basis of breathing exercises according to the Buteyko method. A set of three exercises will help you master the correct breathing technique. With their help, you can quickly and easily learn shallow breathing.

Exercise 1.

It is necessary to sit comfortably and breathe briefly for 10-15 minutes. At the same time, the author of the exercise recommends that you suppress the desire to take a deep breath with all your might.

Exercise 2.

The second exercise is performed lying on the stomach. The chin is pressed to the floor. In this position, you need to hold your breath, increase the pressure on the floor with your chin. To avoid injury, you can put a roller or palm under the chin.

Exercise 3

Take a deep breath, hold your breath for as long as possible. Exhalation is done through the mouth.

Shallow breathing training

These workouts can be done anywhere. They consist in holding the breath for as long as possible. The first time holding the breath is done while standing in one place, the second time it needs to be done in motion (walking around the room).

The final stage of the training will be superficial rapid breathing. The duration of this exercise is from 1 to 15 minutes. Such training is advised to be carried out from daily, up to 4 times a day. This will help you achieve maximum results.

Exercises to strengthen the body

In addition to therapeutic purposes, Buteyko breathing exercises are recommended for strengthening the body and preventing various respiratory diseases. To do this, it is enough to study a few not difficult exercises, which we will discuss below, and repeat twice a day. Followers of this technique claim that the result can be felt after a week of daily training.

Breathing in rhythm with a long exhalation

The essence of this exercise is very simple: the exhalation should be longer than the inhalation. The best way to do this is by counting. For example, a breath is taken at the expense of 1 - 2. The exhalation will be longer and calmer at 1 - 4. Such breathing relieves psychological stress well.

Regular breathing with active exhalation

Another popular exercise in the Buteyko breathing system. You need to take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. The action is very similar to blowing out a candle on a birthday cake. You need to repeat it 4 times in a row. After that, it is recommended to take a break and transgress to other exercises.

Stages of recovery

How does recovery take place? Or how to understand that the disease recedes? In most methods of treating certain diseases, a sign of recovery is an improvement in well-being. Vivid symptoms of the disease recede, pain, fatigue, etc. disappear. But, with the Buteyko method, things are somewhat different. The author himself claims that all the unpleasant sensations that a person experiences after Buteyko training indicate that the healing process has begun. What will you have to face:

1. Exacerbation of chronic diseases
2. Nervous disorders
3. Sleep disturbance
4. Increase in body temperature
5. Frequent headaches and migraines
6. Pain in the lungs

K. Buteyko argued that these symptoms are clear signs of recovery. Their duration depends on the individual characteristics of a particular person. Most sources say that when a person can hold his breath for 60 seconds, the acute manifestations of such ailments pass. But, modern doctors explain this action in a slightly different way.

All of these side effects are not an indicator of recovery, but classic symptoms of excess carbon dioxide in the body. Indeed, with prolonged training, symptoms may decrease. This is due to the body's natural adaptive mechanisms. Which of these versions to trust is up to you.

Stuffy nose

If you are sick and your nose is completely stuffed up, then you cannot perform Buteyko breathing exercises. But, in the event that one nostril is blocked, this can be easily corrected. To do this, you must perform the following actions: close the breathing nostril and stop breathing for a few seconds. After a few repetitions, the problem of stuffy nose will be solved.

Headache

Headaches are familiar to everyone. There is little pleasure in this. Especially for people who suffer from migraines. Buteyko in such cases advised to switch to short shallow breathing. But, remember that a high level of carbon dioxide in the body causes headaches, migraines and poor health. It will be much safer and more effective to do some classic yoga breathing exercises.

Treatment of bronchial asthma

As mentioned above, some effectiveness of Buteyko's asthma treatment has been experimentally proven. True, doctors say that success can only be achieved in the early stages of the disease. Including this technique in the course of treatment, you should not abandon the classical treatment. Moreover, the whole process must be supervised by a specialist. Remember that each person is individual. What works for one doesn't always work for another.

Fears and anxieties

In matters of combating anxiety, fears, and an increased level of anxiety, the Buteyko breathing system proved to be really effective. Through breath control, people who suffer from such ailments actually get some relief or get rid of such problems altogether. Due to the need to focus on the task at hand.

Breathing should be measured. In order to quickly relieve tension, it is enough to take three deep breathing cycles: inhale - hold your breath - exhale completely. This will be enough to lower the level of adrenaline and cortisol in the blood.

Fatigue

Getting rid of fatigue with the help of Buteyko breathing exercises also consists in conducting several deep breathing cycles. During the procedure, you need to relax, throw all negative thoughts out of your head and focus on your own feelings. After the first cycle of breathing, a feeling of relaxation and peace will come.

How to get rid of pain during gymnastics

Painful sensations during breathing according to Buteyko cause a lot of discomfort. Many authors of articles on this topic argue that in order to get rid of pain, you need to learn how to breathe correctly. However, this is unlikely to be done right away. Volitional suppression of deep breathing is essentially a technique that changes the natural biological process of breathing. Such changes cannot be painless. However, after the body gets used to the load, the pain in the lung area will decrease significantly and after a while it will stop bothering you.

Breathing gymnast according to the Buteyko system is a rather controversial thing. There are a lot of rave reviews on the Internet about miraculous healing from cancer, varicose veins, bronchial asthma and other misfortunes. Checking which of these reviews are true and which are not is almost impossible. We cannot say that this technique is completely useless or dangerous. Any artificial impact on the biological processes of the body leads to serious changes. What these changes will be is very difficult to predict.

The transition to shallow breathing is shown to absolutely everyone, starting from birth, as it is absolutely harmless and eliminates the cause of most diseases - a lack of carbon dioxide in the blood.

Ambulance

Headache

Exhale, hold your breath to the maximum, then switch to shallow breathing for a minute, then again the maximum pause. After a cycle of 3-5 pauses, the headache will go away.

To limit deep breathing, you can plug both nostrils with cotton. To avoid a deep breath after MP, you should sniff the grated horseradish alternately with one or the other nostril. Massage of the subclavian cavities and upper back and the use of strong infusions of bitter herbs and green tea also help.

Runny nose

A runny nose usually starts with stuffy nose. If this happens, you should hold your breath, sequentially tensing the muscles, and conduct a cycle of 3-5 MP until the blocked nostrils open.

At the first sign of a runny nose, you should cut the onion head into halves and bring it to your nose. Inhale the smell to tears, then blow your nose; the same should be done if you start to sneeze. If you feel the urge to cough, suppress it with an effort of will. Phlegm, which covers the walls of the pulmonary vesicles, is the body's defense against the loss of carbon dioxide. When you cough it up, you lose the healing gas. As soon as CO accumulates in sufficient quantities, sputum will come out by itself.

Cough

At the very first urge to cough, CP should be done several times in a row until the desire to cough passes. Adopt proper posture and hold it to induce shallow breathing. As a last resort, try coughing through your nose.

Viral diseases

According to the follower of K. P. Buteyko M. N. Tuboltsev, proper breathing has a positive effect even in the case of AIDS. The experiments were carried out at the Kiev Research Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases. Gromashevsky. For 8 months, 12 patients improved their general condition, and three showed striking positive changes in cellular immunity.

Factors that increase and decrease breathing

Factors that increase breathing, that is, make it deeper, include:

Caffeine and caffeine-containing products (coffee, chocolate, tea) and medicines;

Rapidly absorbed protein - broth, milk, cottage cheese;

Citrus.

Factors that reduce breathing include:

Restriction in nutrition, vegetarianism, raw food diet;

Hard bed with a slope to the head, sleep on the stomach, on a hard roller, on the fist;

Location in the mountains and by the sea;

Massage, water procedures, hardening;

Bath (especially dry steam);

Graces, corsets, chest bandaging;

Consistent muscle tension;

Calm.

you are recovering

How to determine that your body has begun to cleanse and recover? It turns out that during the transition to shallow breathing, the so-called reaction of recovery and purification is observed. Moreover, it does not go gradually, but corresponds to the CO content in the lungs. Four levels of the recovery reaction correspond to the pressure of carbon dioxide 28 mm, 32 mm, 39 mm, 46 mm. This amount can be calculated by knowing the MP values ​​and using the Buteyko table (in this case, intensive reactions of recovery, purification correspond to MP 20, 40, 80 and 120).

In itself, the reaction of recovery resembles the reverse course of the disease. Harbingers of recovery are the following factors:

The appearance of symptoms of the disease;

Fever and headaches;

Pain in muscles, stomach, joints, etc. (in organs affected by deep breathing);

Nervous excitement, deterioration of sleep or, conversely, drowsiness;

Reducing the time of CP, and before the onset of the reaction of recovery, it increases sharply.

What are the manifestations of the recovery reaction?

1. First of all, most patients begin sludge cleansing, which is manifested in increased salivation, sweating, runny nose, sputum production, diarrhea, vomiting, increased urination (and urine has a red-orange color), hair loss and peeling of the skin. Moreover, all discharges may have blood impurities and the smell of previously taken medications.

This reaction lasts from several hours to several weeks. In about a third of patients, the recovery reaction is painless.

2. An increase in temperature up to 40 ° C (it should not be knocked down), headaches, aches all over the body. Headaches are most often associated with a lack of potassium, sodium and calcium salts in the body. You should increase the consumption of products containing them. For the period of exacerbation, you can take salt in the form of tablets.

The most reliable sources of potassium are peaches, dried apricots, and legumes, as well as a mixture of honey, apple cider vinegar, and water. A source of calcium can be the shell of chicken eggs, it is well absorbed by the body if it is dissolved in apple cider vinegar.

Sodium moths enter our body with ordinary salt.

I would like to end this part of the book with a quote from K. P. Buteyko's article "Cleansing with the breath."

“The method of volitional elimination of deep breathing is far from a panacea for all sorts of troubles. It is common for a person to perceive such recommendations as a magic wand that will help him solve all problems, especially since at first glance they seem very simple and accessible. In fact, all your will and patience will be required from you, it’s not for nothing that the method is called the volitional elimination of deep breathing, but a person is also rewarded a hundredfold by restoring health.

Breath from all diseases

Full breathing is the foundation of the basics for healing. And on this basis we can build the foundation of our health. One who has mastered full breathing and achieved a certain improvement in his energy, he has already become the master of the life force ki to a large extent, he has already awakened the healing power in himself. And then we must learn to dispose of this healing power at our will so that it brings us as much health as possible. Together with correct breathing, we can learn to consciously direct ki to diseased organs and heal them.

By doing energetic abdominal breathing, you have already mastered one method of controlling life energy. Having mastered full breathing, you gave life to your body, eliminated energy stagnation, created conditions for the exit of harmful energies from the body. Now, as long as you are breathing with a full breath, there will be no obstacles in your body for the distribution of life force, for the natural course of energy flows, for healing with ki energy. So as long as you are breathing a full breath, the ki will heal you as you wish.

To enhance the healing effect of ki, another method of full breathing is used - cleansing breathing. This method allows you to improve the health of the whole body, awaken and cleanse every cell of harmful energies and allow the healing energy of ki to flow freely.

Exercise "Cleansing Breath"

Starting position: as in the exercise "Full breath".

Breathe in with a full breath. Hold your breath for a few seconds. Then fold your lips in a tube and stretch them out.

Forcefully exhale some air through pursed lips, then hold the exhalation for a second, and forcefully exhale some air again. So, in jerks, with stops, exhale all the air from the lungs. It is very important that the air is exhaled with force.

If you were tired before doing this exercise, you will feel an instant freshness, as if you had a good rest. It happened because you set in motion a healing energy that brings freshness and vigor.

This exercise prepared us for the direct work of healing diseases. It cleansed, refreshed the body and opened diseased organs to energy flows that are designed to heal diseases.

Now try to master special breathing exercises aimed at healing individual diseases.

Treatment of the lungs and respiratory tract

Starting position: sit in Turkish, or in the lotus position, or just on a chair, whichever is more convenient for you.

Put your hands on your knees. Close your eyes.

Take a very slow, smooth, calm breath, while relaxing the abdominal muscles. Then, without holding your breath, make a very sharp, strong exhalation, with a push, while sharply contracting the abdominal muscles so that the stomach retracts, pulling as close to the spine as possible. Take 10 such breaths and exhalations.

Take 10 such breaths and exhalations every day for a week. Next week, add 10 more inhales and exhales, then every week add 10 inhales and exhales until you reach 120. This is the maximum number of inhales and exhales you can do in this exercise.

Exercise relieves bronchospasm, relieves asthma attacks, clears the nasal passages. The one who does this exercise will never fall ill with pneumonia and tuberculosis - after all, the tops of the lungs with such breathing receive a sufficient amount of oxygen and vitality, and therefore stagnation does not form there and favorable conditions are not created for the multiplication of tuberculous bacilli. Consumption patients can be cured by this exercise. The work of the heart also returns to normal.

Treatment of headache, rheumatism and neuralgia

Starting position: sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes.

Bring together the tips of the little finger and the ring finger of the right hand and press them on the left nostril.

Slowly, calmly, silently inhale the air through the right nostril, without straining, so that it does not cause you any discomfort.

Then, without releasing your fingers from the left nostril, close the right nostril with the thumb of the same hand, lower your chin, pressing it tightly to your chest, and hold your breath for as long as you can.

When it becomes unbearable, release your fingers from the left nostril and exhale very quietly and slowly through it, while raising your head. The thumb still closes the right nostril. Gradually increase the duration of the breath hold.

Exercise also heals other types of pain if it is of nervous origin, as well as from the common cold, and destroys pathogens in the frontal sinuses.

Treatment of heart disease

Starting position: Sit in a comfortable position.

With your mouth tightly closed, inhale slowly through both nostrils, smoothly, calmly and evenly, imagining how the air fills the entire space inside the chest from the throat to the heart. At the same time, the chest straightens out. While inhaling, imagine that the air is drawn into the chest not by the nose, but by the throat. Keeping your mouth closed may cause some slightly hissing sound in your throat. This sound should be quiet, monophonic and long enough.

After inhaling, hold your breath for as long as you can handle it without much discomfort. Then close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand and exhale through the left nostril. Breathe in this way for as long as it seems comfortable for you.

Exercise also cures all diseases caused by insufficient oxygen intake.

Treatment of inflammation and fever

Starting position: stick out your tongue a little and roll it up.

Draw in air through your mouth until you hear a hissing sound. Hold your breath as long as you can without feeling any discomfort.

Exhale slowly through your nose, through both nostrils at the same time.

Perform the exercise in the morning 15-20 times.

Exercise purifies the blood. One who performs it regularly becomes insensitive to the action of poisons and even to snake bites.

Treatment of nerve diseases

Usually people breathe too fast and irregularly. It only contributes to nervous overexcitation. Starting position: Sit in a comfortable position. Breathe as you normally would and count your breaths.

Gradually slow down your breathing, bringing to 8-12 breaths per minute.

Continuing to breathe like this, count to 8 on the inhale and to 8 on the exhale, making sure that the inhale and exhale are the same length.

Such breathing brings harmony to the whole body of a person and calms his nerves. You will feel rested and calmed, everything that was boiling inside and tearing you apart will suddenly settle down and calm down, and all previously uncontrolled impulses will obey you.

Treatment of the stomach and intestines

Starting position: Sit in a comfortable position for you.

Close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand and inhale very slowly through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril with the closed pads of the little finger and ring finger of the right hand. Hold the air for as long as you can, as long as it does not cause you great discomfort. Make sure that during the breath holding, the lungs stop their movement.

Now release your thumb and exhale very slowly.

Inhale through the right nostril, close it with your thumb and hold your breath again. Then release the ring finger and little finger from the left nostril and exhale slowly through the left nostril.

Do 10 of these exercises in the morning and 10 in the evening. From the next day, increase the number of exercises by one, and so on up to 20, and more if desired. When inhaling, imagine that health, love, joy enter you; while exhaling, imagine how evil, illness and all other bad qualities come out of you.

Exercise quickly cleanses energy, improves digestion and appetite, and as a result, it is good for many diseases.

Skin rejuvenation and treatment of its diseases

Starting position: stand up straight.

Raise your hands up and inhale with a full breath. Bend forward, trying to touch the floor in front of you with your fingers, and hold your breath for 12-13 seconds. Feel how blood rushes to your face, how warmth spreads throughout your body. Imagine how the skin of the face is filled with energy, becomes elastic, clean, healthy, how energy pouring over the edge smoothes wrinkles and takes away all waste, all diseases. Without straightening, bend your knees so that your head is closer to the floor.

Exhale with a full breath and straighten up, returning to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.

Exercise cures skin diseases, but even with healthy skin it is very useful, as it improves its condition, complexion and has a rejuvenating effect.